Page 44 of Fated Despite the Moon

When they reachedthe end of the road and headed to town, her phone buzzed. Makayla looked down at her purse but didn't open it. It buzzed again. Then again. And again.

"Wow. I don't think I've gotten that many texts in my entire life combined."

She gave a nervous chuckle but still didn't open her purse.

Caleb couldn't tell if this was a good sign or a bad one. Either way, it left his wolf with an uneasy feeling.

Caleb turned left at the stop sign and headed for the library. They went a block before Makayla pointed out the window. "What's that?"

He looked to the right. "Oh, that was supposed to be a strip mall. Some developers from Seattle came in a few years back and grabbed the land when my grandfather died and tried to build here."

"In Wolf River?"

"Yeah. They thought our remote mountain town would be an ideal place for a big fancy lodge and resort shopping. Unfortunately for them, they didn't realize whom they were dealing with. My dad made it abundantly clear they would never have a strip mall in Wolf River. Then he made them an offer they didn't dare refuse, and a week later the land went to my dad."

"I didn't realize Jeremiah was that powerful."

Caleb looked at her out of the corner of his eye. Did she not realize how much pull both their dads had in Idaho?

"Too bad," she finally said. "Looks like Wolf River could use some more commerce."

"We aren't looking to turn into a tourist town."

"No," she said. "I didn't mean like that. I just meant for the people of Wolf River. To make their lives better."

Caleb pulled up to the library. "And what would you put in a strip mall in Wolf River?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe an antique store or a thrift store. A hair salon or a bakery."

Caleb looked over at her. Those were all good ideas. Question was, who could they get to run them?

Makayla opened the truck door and slid out.

"I'll be back for you about eleven thirty."

She nodded and closed the door before waving. Caleb's chest squeezed watching her walk to the library. He could get used to this. Driving her into town. Meeting her for lunch. Taking her home. Spending his evenings with her. Somehow with Makayla it all felt right.

* * *

Makayla letthe door to the library close before she pulled her phone from her purse and headed to the nearest computer station. She sat heavily in a stiff chair and unlocked the screen. She had close to fifty messages from her friends asking the same things they always did. She scanned them without really reading, wondering if they missed her, her money, or her mother’s house. Then she read a text from her brother, and finally she looked at the texts from Derek. The first two she skimmed as he cussed her out for not understanding how he felt. The next ones were more pleading as he begged her to talk to him. Promised to change. To be better. To get a job and take care of her. She shook her head, and set her phone down.

She remembered meeting Derek in the clubs. They'd seen each other there for weeks, dancing, talking, drinking. She'd known he was a Bitten rogue from the first time she'd met him, but she hadn't cared. Colt had tried to keep them apart, even threatening to tell their mom if she didn't stay away. But Makayla had known her brother would never turn her in. No matter how much he wanted to keep her away from Derek, he also tried to protect her from their mom as well. In the end, she'd wished she'd listened to him. All it had taken was one night of too many drinks and not caring about anything anymore for her to give in and spend the night in Derek's dingy little apartment in the valley. Six weeks later, she discovered he hadn't used a condom. By then, it was too late for the morning-after pill, and she just couldn't bring herself to have an abortion, no matter what having a child meant to her life moving forward.

Derek had made it abundantly clear he didn’t want anything to do with her. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her when he saw her in the clubs after their night together. Always with a different girl, but she hadn’t cared a bit. His new desire to be involved with her and the baby had her both confused and unnerved. It was possible he’d learned of her mother’s money. Or possibly he thought he could get something out of the pregnancy.

And now she lived in Wolf River, Idaho with a great guy. A stable guy. A sexy as hell guy with a pack and a plan and a life... Yes, she could see building a future with him. Her wolf sat up and howled at the thought, and for the first time in a long time, Makayla let her wolf bask in the light of hope. Instead of pushing her away, Makayla allowed her wolf the moment of happiness and contentment. Allowed her to explore the budding affection Makayla had allowed to blossom inside her, not only for her baby but for Caleb as well. She looked down at her phone and smiled. She knew what she needed to do.

She texted her friends one sentence.

Not coming back. Love you forever. M-

Makayla spentan hour browsing the books and picking out several new ones. Then she went on the computer and searched in the extended library system for some more baking books and asked to have them transferred in. By the time Caleb picked her up, she had begun to formulate an idea. She just needed to figure out how to make it work.

"You ready?"

Makayla nodded and followed him out the door. Every fiber inside her was bursting to tell him what she wanted to do, but now was not the time. She needed to be totally sure…

He drove to edge of town and stopped in front of the old white church. Men milled about carrying lumber and tools. They collected the crate from the truck and entered the front door of the church.

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